RESPONSE
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESPONSE
**In response to the evolving COVID-19 situation, The Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism
will implement the following changes while remaining open and operating under modified
conditions.**
- All public events have been postponed.
- Services are still available to the public but may be provided under modified conditions.
- We discourage everyone from coming to the center until further notice.
If you need to contact the Center for Autism, please contact us at autismcenter@uvu.edu or 801-863-7620. You may also reach out to any of our staff via phone or email.
Please refer to uvu.info for the most current information regarding UVU campus as a whole.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION/ UPDATES
Events
All autism center events will be postponed or cancelled.
**UVU AUTISM CONFERENCE TO BE POSTPONED**
We are so grateful for your support for the 2020 UVU Autism Conference. We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak, and we are concerned for the health and well-being of our conference attendees, presenters, and volunteers. In response to COVID-19, all UVU events between March 16 and May 1 will be postponed or cancelled, therefore, the autism conference will be postponed until a later date.
In the meantime, we are issuing full refunds to everyone who has purchased tickets to the 2020 UVU Autism Conference.
Credit card purchases will be refunded immediately. Cash purchases will be refunded through check requests.
Once the conference is rescheduled, we will provide priority registration to everyone who has purchased autism conference tickets.
We again appreciate your support for autism and look forward to seeing you in the future.
For questions, please contact Laurie Bowen at laurie.bowen@uvu.edu or 801-863-8759.
**UPLIFTING CELEBRATION FOR AUTISM TO BE POSTPONED**
We are so grateful for your support for the 2020 Uplifting Celebration for Autism. We have been closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak, and we are concerned for the health and well-being of our event attendees and volunteers. In response to COVID-19, all UVU events between March 16 and May 1 will be postponed or cancelled, therefore, the Uplifting Celebration for Autism will be postponed until a later date.
RESOURCES & SUPPORTS
General Resources & Supports
COVID-19 Resources & Supports
- Interactive Map: Where Utah Kids Can Get Free School Breakfasts and Lunch (Coronavirus)
- National Autism Association Resources: Social Stories, Visual Steps, Tips, Social Distancing
- Autism & COVID-19: How to Support Autistic People During the Coronavirus Pandemic
- Free Coronavirus/ COVID-19 Social Story
- Home Learning Guide for Autism Parents: IEP Goals, Grades Pre-K - 12
- How We Can Help Children with Disabilities Understand the Coronavirus
- Expert Offers Practical Advice to Manage your Coronavirus Anxiety
- PDF: Free Coronavirus/ COVID-19 Social Story
- PDF: Free Coronavirus Social Story
- PDF: Plain Language Information on COVID-19
Education: Resources for Teaching and Learning
- Podcast: Preparing Students in Special Education for School Closures
- Podcast: Distance Learning: Making It Work for Special Education
- Google Slides: Autism Classroom Resources
- Worksheets: School's Closed: Free Resources to Send Home
- Learning Packets: Free Distance/ Home Learning Packets and Strategies for Special Education
- Video: How to Sneeze and Cough Safely (Sesame Street)
- Video: How to Wash your Hands (Sesame Street)
- Video: How to Give Yourself a Big Hug When You're Feeling Anxious (Sesame Street)
Mental Health Resources
Resources for Professionals
SPRING 2020 GRADING
There have been a lot of questions regarding the new grading policy for the semester — is credit/no credit the same as pass/fail, what is best for me, and can I get a refund? The Registrar's Office put together a comprehensive webpage with a lot of information to help guide you through this change.
Please find the time to read through it carefully to understand what your options are for grading this semester.
Spring 2020 Grading
School of Education Programs
Autism Studies (Minor & Certificate)
Regarding Credit/No Credit Option
Please refer to information from your respective departments regarding the credit/no
credit option within your program.
The following information is specific to Autism courses:
If you are pursuing the BCBA or BCaBA credential, DO NOT select Credit/No Credit grading for these classes. This will negatively impact your
ability to apply to take the credentialing exam. Please talk with your professor
or Dr. Carlson if you have any questions.
Special Education
Information for Special Education Program Students
Regarding Credit/No Credit Option
On Monday, March 30, 2020 Utah Valley University sent you an email entitled “Spring
2020 Grading.” Based on the unprecedented way the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated
universities across the nation, including Utah Valley University, to quickly adapt
instruction to alternative-delivery instruction, UVU students are given the option
of choosing a letter final grade (A, A-, B+, etc.) or credit/no credit for their classes.
This means that you will make this selection for each course you are taking this semester.
You have been provided a link to a university webpage that presents information about
grading options, how to decided which option is best for you (including potential
consequences), and how to change your grade. Please look at the information provided on that webpage closely! It provides many important issues you should consider before deciding whether to switch
to the credit/no-credit option for a particular class!
It’s also important that you are aware that what is considered credit or no credit
can vary across schools, colleges, and programs within UVU. What credit/no credit will mean for the courses within the School of Education that
are part of programs that lead to teacher licensure is that credit will be given for work that would receive a B- or better, and no credit will
be given for work that would receive a C+ or lower. This is because there is already a program requirement that these classes are passed
with a B- or better in order to continue in the program, and the Utah State Board
of Education (USBE) requires students to have an overall GPA of 3.0 in their teacher
preparation courses to receive a professional teaching license.
Even though a “credit” grade in your courses will allow you to continue in the programs,
there are still good reasons to keep the letter grade option. For example, if you
are repeating an education class for a higher grade, “credit” will not replace the
lower grade and improve your overall GPA. Likewise, if you are working on raising
your overall GPA to qualify for program completion and graduation, “credit” will not
have any effect on your GPA.
Please note that a Credit/No Credit option for this program could be made available
to you only after the Utah State Board of Education provides us with an appropriate
permission, which has not yet been given. We expect them to vote on it on Thursday, April 2 or later. Until we have confirmation
that “credit” will be acceptable for required courses for this semester, do not plan
on taking that option. We will notify you as soon as we receive official word either
way.
We realize there may be students, because of the sudden alternative-delivery instruction
and/or other life challenges, who feel they are in a situation where credit/non-credit
may be the best option for a particular class. If this is the case for you, before
you make this choice, we advise you to reach out to your professor(s) for the course(s)
that present a particular challenge.
Again, thank you for your continuing effort to complete your studies and graduate
with an education degree and professional teaching license.
Sincerely,
Dr. Bryan Waite • Chair, Department of Secondary Education
Dr. Vessela Ilieva • Dean, School of Education
Kim Fale • Advisor, Secondary Education
Graduate Studies
Regarding Credit/No Credit Grading Option
On Monday, March 30, 2020 Utah Valley University sent you an email entitled “Spring
2020 Grading.” Based on the unprecedented way the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated
universities across the nation, including Utah Valley University, to quickly adapt
instruction to alternative-delivery instruction, UVU students are given the option
of choosing a letter final grade (A, A-, B+, etc.) or credit/no credit for their classes.
This means that you will make this selection for each course you are taking this semester.
You have been provided a link to a university webpage that presents information about
grading options, how to decided which option is best for you (including potential
consequences), and how to change your grade. Please look at the information provided on that webpage closely! It provides many important issues you should consider before deciding whether to switch
to the credit/no-credit option for a particular class!
It’s also important that you are aware that what is considered credit or no credit
can vary across schools, colleges, and programs within UVU. What credit/no credit will mean for the courses within the School of Education that
are part of programs that lead to teacher licensure is that credit will be given for work that would receive a B- or better, and no credit will
be given for work that would receive a C+ or lower. This is because there is already a program requirement that these classes are passed
with a B- or better in order to continue in the program.
Even though a “credit” grade in your courses will allow you to continue in the programs,
there are still good reasons to keep the letter grade option. For example, if you
are repeating an education class for a higher grade, “credit” will not replace the
lower grade and improve your overall GPA. Likewise, if you are working on raising
your overall GPA to qualify for program completion and graduation, “credit” will not
have any effect on your GPA.
Please note that a Credit/No Credit option for this program could be made available
to you only after the Utah State Board of Education provides us with an appropriate
permission, which has not yet been given. We expect them to vote on it on Thursday, April 2 or later. Until we have confirmation
that “credit” will be acceptable for required courses for this semester, do not plan
on taking that option. We will notify you as soon as we receive official word either
way.
We realize there may be students, because of the sudden alternative-delivery instruction
and/or other life challenges, who feel they are in a situation where credit/non-credit
may be the best option for a particular class. If this is the case for you, before
you make this choice, we advise you to reach out to your professor(s) for the course(s)
that present a particular challenge.